One of the things attracting tourists has taught us is to value the habit of preservation. We have to depend on devoted scholars and archeology diggers and always, tenacious individuals like Dr. Walter Roth. He was a medical man of German stock who moved to Guyana by way of Australia and was the moving spirit in the rise of Georgetown's museum of natural history. As a youth I made many trips to this museum and was fascinated by its presentation and displays; for instance the diorama of gold-digging operations in the far interior, the lighted fish tanks with fish such as the blood-thirsty pirai, a lifelike representation on the wall of the world's biggest freshwater fish, the arapaima, caught in Guyana. A huge live anaconda pans have all but vanished.
[Stephanie Balmir-Villedrouin] said the site of the village is known for its historic values to Haiti "and the idea is to create another form of attraction and give a value to the visitors when they go to the destination".
Talk to Richard Lue and it becomes clear that not nearly enough Caribbean people are heading `home'. Neither are enough African Americans trying to discover the Caribbean, although their connection with the culture has long been established in the U.S. That's why Lue was appointed Air Jamaica's regional manager for special markets in the southern U.S. Another Air Jamaica representative has been given similar responsibilities for the northern states. "It wasn't neglect," said Lue. "It just wasn't accountability. We've always been there. The problem was internally. We feel we can get more out of that (Caribbean) market." "To me it's no big deal," he said. "The problems in Jamaica are serious, but Jamaica has never been an easy sell. But it is a challenge. It is because of 9/11 that we realized we had to diversify our markets and give importance to all the markets. The challenge is there, but we just have to deliver."
* Friday, June 10 - The Rhythms of the Caribbean Ball, 7 p.m. to midnight at The Plaza Hotel New York. Hosted by NBC anchor Jenna Wolfe. A "barefoot" black tie affair. Tickets start at $350 and a portion of the proceeds go to finance scholarships to Caribbean nationals pursuing careers in tourism. The Caribbean Travel & Cultural Fair will take place 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. June 8 at Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central Terminal. Admission is free. It will feature Caribbean performers and entertainers, as well as a Caribbean wedding organized in collaboration with the Global Bridal Group.
Business Profile: This segment will feature some Presidential award winning companies owned and or operated by Caribbean nationals, and a look at major industries such as Petroleum, Citrus, and Coffee in some Caribbean nations. Producer/Director Joseph Dunn says, "The purpose of the series is to increase the public awareness and appreciation of the region, and its people". Dunn also adds, "it is our hope that through the broadcasting of these programs he viewer will learn more about the vast resources the Caribbean has to offer in the development of the Western Hemisphere and to change the stereotypical images some people have about the region and its people." Mr. Dunn has also produced two very successful series in the past also dealing with the Caribbean namely, "Jamaica in Focus" and "Caribbean Affair" along with numerous specials dealing with Pan-African and local issues for the Dade County Cable Television Access Project Cable TAP which is the cable division of WLRN-TV. One of these series has been nominated for a national cable programming award, The Home Town USA Video Festival in 1990.
